Chill a glass
TechniqueChilling a glass means cooling it in the freezer or with ice and water before you pour a drink into it.
Also called: chilled glass · chilling a glass
- Freezer
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Ice and water
- 1 to 2 minutes, while you mix
What Chill a glass means
A drink served up arrives cold with no ice, so the glass has to be cold too. A warm glass warms the drink the moment it goes in. A chilled glass keeps that drink cold for longer, so the last sip is still cold. That is the whole reason for this step.
Recipes for drinks served up call for a chilled glass, such as a coupe, a Martini glass, a Nick and Nora or a flute. Chill the glass before you mix, so it is ready when the drink is. The same freezer or ice water method works for a beer glass.
It is easy to assume a splash of ice and water chills a glass as well as the freezer. It is quicker, but much less effective. If you have 20 minutes, use the freezer, and keep the ice water method for when you are short on time.
How to chill a glass
Start the chill before you mix, so the glass is cold by the time the drink is ready.
- 1.If you use the freezer, check that the glass is freezer-safe first.
- 2.Freeze the glass for 20 to 30 minutes.
- 3.For a quick chill, fill the glass with crushed ice and top it with cold water.
- 4.Leave it for 1 to 2 minutes while you mix the drink.
- 5.Tip out the ice and water, then shake the glass dry before you pour.
Chill a glass compared
- UpUp drinks reach the glass cold but with no ice in them. Chilling the glass keeps that drink cold after the pour.
Related terms
Put it to use in your next drink
Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.